


Hidden Gifts by babs

by babs



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Established Relationship, Holidays, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-17
Updated: 2011-04-17
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:06:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babs/pseuds/babs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack learns what really matters at Christmas, but then again he always knew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hidden Gifts by babs

"Am I speaking to Jonathan O'Neill?"

"Yes," Jack said, squinting as he turned on the light by the bed. His heart started pounding as the woman uttered her next words.

"I'm calling from Lady of Mercy Hospital in Lake Anders. You're listed as next of kin for a Daniel Jackson?"

"Yes, yes I am." Pulling on sweat pants and shoving his feet into a pair of battered sneakers, Jack tried to keep his mind from jumping from one worst case scenario to the next.

"Mr. Jackson was in a car accident and has been airlifted to our center."

"How is he? What's his condition?"

"I can't give that information over the phone, sir."

"An hour, it'll take me an hour to get Lake Anders," Jack told the woman.

He didn't remember the drive to the hospital--only that it was very dark. Maybe under normal circumstances he might have thought that the snowflakes lit up like stars in his headlights. But right now he only cursed the snowfall for impeding his progress.

The young woman who'd called him on the phone had met him in the emergency room, taking him to a small room where she had him fill out the paperwork.

He spent the next hour alternating between worry and the need to do something, anything to keep his mind off the thought that if he'd waited just two more days, he and Daniel would have been in the rental car together. But he'd wanted to get to the cabin and Daniel had persuaded him to come up alone.

"I'll come up when I finish these translations," Daniel had promised him.

Was he driving too fast? Was he too tired? Was he angry? In a rush? Not knowing the answers to those questions spiraled around in Jack's mind and with each circuit he became increasingly anxious.

He called Hammond to let him know, more to talk to someone who was a familiar voice really, even though he had no details to give the general. He wished Fraiser, Carter, and Teal'c weren't off on a humanitarian mission to P6Y-123. He wished that Daniel hadn't been so exhausted that Fraiser insisted Daniel take a week off and not accompany them.

"Colonel O'Neill?"

Jack stopped pacing in the small waiting room and stared at the young doctor.

"I'm Doctor Graham. I'm in charge of Mr. Jackson's case."

"How is he?" Jack asked. The man looked too young to be a doctor--a shock of red hair standing up every which way and freckles across his face. "What happened?"

"According to what Mr. Jackson..."

"Doctor, he's a doctor." At the questioning look the physician gave him, Jack continued, "Archaeology."

Graham smiled. "What Dr. Jackson told us was that he swerved to avoid some deer running across the road. He doesn't remember anything after that. But he hit a couple of trees. The rescue team had to cut him out of the vehicle."

"He's conscious?"

"How about if we sit down and I'll explain what's going on." Doctor Graham gestured to some chairs. "The steering wheel was pushed back into Dr. Jackson's chest. He has multiple rib fractures and extensive bruising over his chest and abdomen. He's got a cardiac contusion-- bruising around the heart. We'll be watching him closely over the next forty eight hours. He also received some lacerations on his neck which we've stitched up."

Jack appreciated the calm, down to earth matter which Graham used. The need to see Daniel, to assure himself Daniel was alive and breathing was beginning to overwhelm him.

"Can I see him?"

Graham smiled. "In a few minutes. We're getting him set up in ICU. Do you have any questions, sir?"

Jack shook his head, unable to think of anything to say.

"I'll let you in to see him for a few minutes now. Just so you know, he's on a ventilator. That's to help keep the ribs stabilized. He's sedated so you won't get any response from him, but it's okay to talk to him." Nodding, Jack stood up after the doctor did and followed him down the hall towards the ICU.

Daniel looked pale even in the dim light of the ICU cubicle and Jack tried to keep his eyes away from the ventilator tube protruding from Daniel's mouth. His partner's neck was bandaged and there was a smudge of a bruise across one cheek.

"Daniel," Jack said, glancing at Graham before touching his partner. "Hey buddy. I'm gonna be waiting for you." Jack didn't know what more to say so he settled for squeezing Daniel's hand in reassurance.

A nurse came by a few minutes later. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave for a few minutes. We need to check some lines."

Jack nodded, still numb and beginning to feel sick to his stomach. He passed the next sixteen hours in a haze, calling Hammond to keep him updated on Daniel's condition--stable but sedated, finding a motel room near the hospital, and faithfully spending every other moment with Daniel when the nurses allowed.

At Doctor Graham's urgings, he left the hospital for a few hours, letting them know he was going back to close up the cabin and check into the motel. He was halfway back to the hospital when he pulled to the side of the road. Hands shaking, Jack managed to open the truck door and stumbled out onto the shoulder. He wrapped his arms around his stomach as he threw up. All the fear seemed to hit at once. He shouldn't have left the hospital. He fumbled for his cell phone, nearly dropping it into a snow bank. The need to check on Daniel's condition became overwhelming.

"Can you tell me how Daniel, um, Dr. Jackson is doing?" he asked when he was connected to the ICU nurses' station. "This is Jack O'Neill."

"He's doing as well as can be expected, sir. His vitals are stable."

"Thank you." Jack said the words automatically. He climbed back in the truck and sat staring out the windshield, taking deep breaths and telling himself the nurse wouldn't lie to him. He turned the key and pulled back onto the road.  


* * *

"Colonel O'Neill."

Jack jerked his head up at the soft voice. He stared at the nurse standing in front of him. "Something wrong?"

"No, sir. I wanted to check to see if you were okay." She smiled at him. "If you want to visit with Daniel you may." Jack gave her a small smile in return. He'd finally managed to convince the staff that Doctor Jackson would prefer being referred to as Daniel.

He stood and stretched before walking to the small cubicle that had become the only reality he'd known for the past four days; seeing Daniel lying in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes and machines the doctor had carefully explained, but whose function Jack had forgotten in the haze of worry and fatigue.

"Hey Daniel," Jack said, reaching over the bed rail and touching his lover's hand. He squeezed the long fingers but he'd come to expect there would be no response. He sighed as he leaned over the bed. Damn, this wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to be at the cabin enjoying a nice long weekend. Jack realized he wasn't even sure what day it was. He'd gotten the phone call early Thursday morning, Thanksgiving in fact. He knew that much. It was all a matter of doing the math, which he was too tired to do anymore.

"You're gonna be okay," he whispered. And Daniel would be, the doctors had said he would be. Graham had spoken of beginning to reduce the level of sedation over the next day or two. There had been no complications, no problems with Daniel's recovery. As Doctor Graham had explained, it was going to take time but everything was going as well as could be expected. Jack sat in the chair next to the bed feeling at loose ends. He hated not being able to do anything for his partner. He rubbed at his forehead, a headache blossoming there. He'd found an old archaeology journal in the cabin and turned to page fifty one beginning to read the next article to a Daniel who he doubted even heard him.

His voice was growing hoarse and the ICU seemed as if it was beginning to close in. Jack closed his eyes for a second but shot them open when the sounds of the ventilator, the beeping of the machines, brought back memories of a little boy lying motionless on a bed. Antiseptic and dim light, hushed voices--all of it combined to make his heart beat faster in a way that time in the SGC infirmary didn't. Jack stood, the chair tilting and falling and sounding loud in the quiet of the ICU.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Jack whispered to the nurse who came to Daniel's cubicle, but he could tell she didn't believe him for a second. She gave him an understanding smile and busied herself with checking the wires and tubes attached to Daniel. Jack righted the chair and sat back down, holding his head in his hands, surprised when a few minutes later Doctor Graham came into the cubicle.

"Colonel, I'm going to ask you to go to your motel and not come back for at least six hours," Doctor Graham ordered. "You're about out on your feet. We have your number and I can assure you that if there is the slightest change in Doctor Jackson's condition you will be contacted immediately."

Jack looked at Daniel, the need to sleep and the thought of the queen sized bed back at the motel warring with the need for him to remain at his partner's side. It wasn't an extensive battle; Jack knew that he wasn't going to do Daniel any good if he collapsed from exhaustion. He nodded and headed back to the motel. A phone call to Hammond to update him, information received that Doctor Fraiser would be flying to Lake Anders as soon as she returned and Jack twisted sideways on the bed, pulled a blanket over his legs and closed his eyes in blessed relief.  


* * *

Daniel was watching him, blinking slowly in confusion.

"You're in the hospital, Doctor Jackson," Graham said, but Daniel didn't appear to have any interest in what the physician was saying focusing instead on Jack. "You were in a car accident. Do you remember that?"

Daniel frowned and then nodded. He opened his mouth but then made a face. Jack offered him a spoonful of ice chips, knowing how sore his partner's throat must feel.

"I'll be back in a few hours to check on you. Meanwhile, take it easy."

Jack saw Daniel's eyebrows rise at that comment--as if Daniel could do anything but take it easy.

As soon as the doctor left, Daniel motioned for Jack to lean closer. He swallowed and Jack winced in sympathy.

"Don't try to talk," Jack ordered, sighing when Daniel shook his head.

"Anyone?"

Jack was puzzled for a second by the painful sounding whisper, but Daniel kept looking at him and finally he knew what his lover wanted him to answer. "No, no, Danny. No one else was hurt. Just you."

"Deer. Ran. Ice." Daniel whispered again.

"Yeah that's what the police figured. They'll probably want to talk to you though," Jack said. "Now, do you think you can be quiet?" he asked, rubbing his thumb over the back of Daniel's hand.

Daniel nodded and gave a very small smile. "You. Tired."

"Yeah, well I've been awake most of the past week while you hadyour beauty sleep," Jack responded, smiling. He was quiet then, watching Daniel breathe without the aid of the ventilator. Daniel's eyes were slowly closing again and Jack knew the brief conversation had tired his partner out. "It's okay. Go back to sleep. I'll stay here."

Daniel gave a silent sigh and nodded, falling asleep within seconds. Jack waited a few minutes until he was sure Daniel was going to stay asleep for awhile. He bent over the bed, brushing his lips on Daniel's forehead. "I'll be back soon."

Relieved that he finally had good news to share with Hammond, Jack walked out the entrance of the hospital, standing in the cold autumn night while he made his phone call.

"I have good news too," Hammond said, after Jack finished his latest report. "Doctor Fraiser, Major Carter, and Teal'c have returned. Doctor Fraiser is on her way to Lake Anders as we speak."

Jack said a quick thank you with a promise to let Hammond know when Fraiser arrived. Graham was a good doctor but Jack had to admit to himself that he was going to feel a hell of a lot better when Frasier was standing in Daniel's room.

Knowing that Daniel would be sleeping for a few hours at least, Jack called up to the nurses' station, letting them know he was going for a walk.

There was a park down the street from the hospital, a walking path circling the lake the town was named for. Jack took off at a brisk pace, needing to spend some time outdoors, away from the artificial light of the hospital room and the smells of medicine and sickness.

The lake was silver in the moonlight and, despite the hour, there were a number of people walking the path. Jack jammed his hands into his jacket and began a slow circuit of the lake. He stopped about halfway, looking up into the star-filled sky and said a silent prayer of thanks to whoever had been watching over Daniel since the night of the accident. Finishing his stroll, Jack started back along the street towards the hospital noticing for the first time the small church set in the grove of trees. A simple Nativity scene had been set out--just Mary, Joseph, a baby in a manger, some sheep, and a donkey. Jack paused, blinking as his eyes filled with tears from the cold air. He didn't even realize what the day was except that somewhere along the line they'd moved closer to Christmas. He took a few steps towards the manger looking at the obviously hand-carved figures. He wasn't a religious man; at least he told himself he wasn't any more. He'd seen too many false gods, too much death, done too many distasteful things to believe there was any hope for him, but the baby had a smile on his face and Jack found himself smiling in return.

"Thank you," he whispered, his heart filling with gratitude for the miracle he'd been given. He walked back to the hospital with more energy than he'd felt since the phone call. For the first time he believed Daniel was going to be okay.  


* * *

"Jack?"

The hoarse voice carried the short distance from the living room to the kitchen.

Jack took one last quick glance at the simmering soup, turned the burner down, and grabbed a glass of water before going to Daniel.

"Hey," he said, placing the water glass on the coffee table.

"You mind if I pass on seeing Teal'c and Sam tonight?" Daniel asked.

Now that Jack looked more closely he could see how tired his partner looked. But then again it had only been three weeks since the accident--and one week since Fraiser had come to Minnesota, arranged for medical transport back to the Springs, and a few days stay in the SGC infirmary. Jack knew how badly broken ribs hurt, even when mending, and he'd seen the fading bruises on Daniel's body when he'd helped him undress two nights previous.

"I can give them a call. They'll understand," Jack said. "You want some soup?"

"In the kitchen," Daniel answered. He put the pillow he was clutching to the side and bit his lower lip.

"Take it easy," Jack murmured, slipping a hand under Daniel's elbow. "I can bring it in here."

"No."

Daniel got to his feet, but Jack stayed close to his side, not liking the pale hue to Daniel's skin. Yeah that would be all they needed, Daniel taking a header in the living room. Fraiser would kill him.

He stepped back, allowing Daniel to make his slow shuffling way to the kitchen. He didn't feel at ease until Daniel was safely seated at the kitchen table. Not saying a word, he opened up the bottle of painkillers and handed one to his partner along with a small glass of milk. It was indicative of how much pain Daniel was in when he took the pill without comment and then sat with head down and breathing through his mouth.

Jack remained silent, filling a bowl with chicken noodle soup and placing it before Daniel before repeating the motions and sitting across from him.

"I'm sorry," Daniel said, after he'd eaten a spoonful of soup.

"Sorry?"

"Christmas is next week."

"And?"

"Look." Daniel waved a hand which Jack supposed was to take in the whole house.

"Okay, I'm looking. And as I said before, and?"

"You like to decorate."

Jack looked again, noticing for the first time the lack of decorations in the house. He hadn't put up any of the lights he usually did, hadn't had time to go for a tree. "Do you want me to decorate?"

"You've been taking care of me. Didn't have time to do all the...stuff you like to do." Daniel sounded as if he'd single handedly ruined Jack's holiday season.

"I can decorate," Jack said. He paused, thinking. "In fact, I have an idea. You gonna be all right for an hour or two?"

Daniel nodded, looking at him in confusion. "What are you plotting?"

"Plotting? Me?" Jack gave his most innocent look. "Nothing. Why would I be plotting anything?"

"I don't know. But you're plotting." Daniel gripped the edge of the table to help himself stand and Jack held his breath until Daniel gained his balance. Daniel coughed and Jack was at his side in an instant, supporting him while he breathed shallowly after the paroxysm.

"Hurts like a son of a bitch," Jack murmured to show he understood. He brought his hand up to Daniel's forehead, not liking that it felt slightly warmer than it should.

"I'm okay," Daniel said, pushing Jack's hand away.

"Uh huh," Jack agreed. "That's why you're out of breath and have a fever."

"I don't want to be sick. I just got home," Daniel said, but it appeared as if all the fight was going out of him--which fact set Jack's alarm bells ringing.

"I'm gonna give Fraiser a call. Let's see what she says," Jack answered, mentally revising his plans.

Daniel didn't make an effort to walk back to the living room, choosing instead to sit on one of the kitchen chairs. Jack placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder while he waited for Fraiser to answer her page.

He explained Daniel's symptoms in a few terse sentences, not surprised when she told Jack to bring Daniel in for a check.

"Come on," Jack said, after ending the call. "She wants to see you."

"I'm okay," Daniel insisted, but stubbornness didn't have quite the same effect when the person was nearly breathless at the words.

"Well then I guess you don't have anything to worry about," Jack said, handing Daniel his jacket. He paused as he looked at his partner's exhausted expression. "Humor me, okay?" He'd never been able to tell Daniel how scared he'd been those first few days after the accident. Daniel didn't need the burden for something that hadn't been his fault after all. But every moan, every cough, every twinge of pain passing over Daniel's face now made Jack alert.  


* * *

Oh this was so not good. Jack took one look at the disgusted look on Daniel's face and the IV in the back of Daniel's hand and decided the news hadn't been what Daniel wanted to hear.

"Pneumonia?" Jack asked. "Doc gonna keep you in the hospital?"

"Yes and no."

"I'm sorry, buddy." And he was. He knew Daniel was tired of hurting, of taking it easy.

"Colonel," Fraiser said as she came back in the exam room. "I guess Daniel told you what's wrong," she added as she glanced between them.

"When can I leave?" Daniel asked, making an effort to sit up further.

"As soon as the IV is done;" Fraiser gave a quick glance at Jack before continuing, "in about forty five minutes."

Jack shook his head as Fraiser managed to restrain Daniel with one small hand on his shoulder.

"Run a vaporizer, lots of rest and no skipping any medication," Fraiser rattled off. "Plenty of fluids. Keep an eye on his temperature, Colonel, and if it doesn't start coming down by tomorrow or if it goes higher, get Daniel back in here as soon as possible. If you have any trouble breathing, Daniel, I want you to tell the colonel right away so he can call for an ambulance. Any questions?"

Daniel shook his head and then looked at Jack with what Jack thought was supposed to be a glare but wasn't very effective due to the combination of medication and fever. The look didn't go unnoticed by Fraiser.

"Daniel, I know you don't feel well, but the colonel did the right thing by bringing you here," Fraiser said, her tone more of a friend than a doctor. "I'm sorry your Christmas isn't looking very merry."

Jack looked over Daniel's slumped shoulders and gave Fraiser a shrug. She nodded and then plastered a smile on her face.

"I'll be back in a half hour and I'll also come by the house tomorrow sometime to see how you're doing."

"Okay."

Jack couldn't remember Daniel ever sounding quite so listless. Maybe Carter and Teal'c would be willing to come over a little bit later tonight once Daniel was drugged and safely tucked in bed. He only needed an hour or so to put his plans in motion.  


* * *

"Why can't I go in the living room?"

"Are you whining?" Jack asked as he carried a tray into the bedroom with Daniel's breakfast.

"Janet didn't say I had to stay in bed." Daniel reached for the small glass of orange juice on the tray only to turn his head away and start to cough. Jack placed the tray on the floor and sat on the bed, putting a steadying hand against Daniel's back.

"I hate being sick," Daniel finally wheezed.

"I know." Jack continued to rub Daniel's back until the muscles loosened a bit. "But your fever isn't as high as it was last night." He didn't mention that Daniel still looked very sick. He wanted Daniel well too. Seeing Daniel hurt, hurt him.

"And it's Christmas in three days. Maybe Janet should have put me in the hospital, then you wouldn't have to..."

"Eat your breakfast," Jack ordered, picking up the tray and putting it on the bed. "Then you can go down to the living room."

Daniel picked at his food more than actually ate it, but at least he made an attempt which was more than he'd done the day before.

Jack didn't know how Daniel would react seeing the living room, but the brief smile that appeared when Daniel saw the small tree was reward enough for the last minute search.

"When did you...?" Daniel looked at him in puzzlement as Jack helped him settle on the recliner.

"Last night. You were sound asleep and Carter came over for a few hours."

"I didn't even know you left," Daniel said, not taking his eyes off the tree in the small pot.

"That was the idea." Jack smiled at him. "Sit tight. There's more." After handing Daniel the blanket from the back of the sofa, Jack went to the kitchen to retrieve more of his surprises.

He came back and handed Daniel a large bowl filled with popcorn and cranberries. His partner frowned up at him.

"What?"

Jack sat down across from him, holding up a threaded needle and grabbing a cranberry. "This." He pierced the small red berry and slid it to the end of the string before taking a piece of popcorn and repeating the action. "Here." He handed Daniel a pre-threaded needle.

"Cranberries and popcorn?" Daniel asked. "I remember seeing this in a book once. I didn't know people actually did it." Jack kept his eyes fixed on his own growing garland, sparing a glance at Daniel and smiling as his lover started threading his own decoration.

"We used to do this at home." Jack explained. "Not much money, lots of cousins to do the decorating."

"And it kept all you kids out of the way." Daniel gave a small chuckle that wound up a coughing fit.

And, Jack thought as Daniel resumed his task with a seriousness that only Daniel could bring to stringing berries and popcorn, a way to keep an ailing archaeologist who'd rather be at work busy and feeling useful.

"We can put the tree outside after Christmas. The birds will like the treats." Jack said after they'd both filled their first garlands.

"Can we do it before?" Daniel asked.

"Before Christmas?"

Daniel nodded before pushing up his glasses. "I thought maybe on the deck."

Jack shrugged, "Sure. No problem." He wondered why it seemed so important for Daniel to put the tree outside and almost asked the question aloud before the realization that the only time Daniel had been outside in the past month had been either to go to or from the hospital. Suddenly the need for Daniel to see the small tree outside, hopefully providing some food for the birds made perfect sense.

They spent the rest of the morning making a few more garlands. Jack sliced a roll of refrigerated cookie dough to fill the house with the smell of baking and they ate cookies and juice for lunch. By early afternoon, the tree was decorated with their garlands and a few pinecones rolled in peanut butter and then birdseed, and Daniel was sound asleep in the recliner.

Putting the tree on the deck, Jack saw Fraiser pull up in her car followed by Carter and Teal'c.

"Hey," he waved to them from the deck.

"Colonel," Fraiser said, her nose red from the cold. "How's Daniel?"

"Sleeping right now," Jack told her, opening the door for them all to enter. "Want some coffee or something?"

"Hot chocolate," Carter said, headed for his cabinets and opening the one with the cocoa powder.

"I'm not even going to ask why you know what's in my kitchen and where it is," Jack pointed out.

Carter ignored him and Jack sighed getting out the milk for her.

"I'm going to go see Daniel," Fraiser announced.

Jack raised a finger but she interrupted him. "Don't worry, sir. I won't wake him."

"Why don't I just sit down and let you all take over my life?" Jack said, suiting his actions to his words and pulling out a kitchen chair.

"How does DanielJackson's illness progress, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, taking one of the mugs of hot chocolate Carter handed him and putting it in front of Jack.

"Fever's not as high, but I'm sure he feels like shit."

"Sir, if you don't mind, we thought we could maybe visit with him a little bit." Carter stirred her cocoa and Jack realized the blotchy redness on her face wasn't probably all due to the cold.

He knew their need, to see Daniel, to reassure themselves he was still getting well, so he nodded. "Stay for dinner. I'm sure Daniel would like some company for awhile."

Carter smiled at him and nodded before taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

Jack could hear soft voices from the living room and he decided to let Fraiser and Daniel alone for the time being.  


* * *

Carter trailed off in the middle of her story about the year her dad had given her a chemistry set for Christmas and Jack looked at her in surprise. Her expression had gone all soft, hell even Teal'c's had, well at least as soft as Teal'c could look, and Jack paused from his task of putting another log on the fire to follow their gazes.

Daniel had fallen asleep again, something he'd done off and on throughout their visit.

"I think we'd better be going, sir." Carter stood up.

"Thanks for coming," Jack whispered softly to both of them. "I guess I'm gonna have to get Sleeping Beauty here to bed."

"DanielJackson needs his rest," Teal'c said in a somber tone but not before Jack caught the brief glimmer of humor in his friend's eyes.

"I'll make sure he does," Jack said quietly, following them to the door.

The house was silent after they left, only the crackling sound of the fire and the somewhat raspy sound of Daniel's breathing keeping him company. Loathe to disturb the sense of peace permeating the room, Jack settled down on the couch with a book of crossword puzzles that Daniel had given him as a birthday present. He'd let Daniel sleep for a few hours and then wake him up so they could both go to bed.  


* * *

Jack woke up with a stiff neck and an even stiffer back. All those commercials with really active senior citizens roller-blading and skiing were obviously twenty-somethings disguised as seniors because falling asleep on a couch sure as heck reminded Jack of every one of his over-the-hill years.

He sat up, groaning, but immediately quieting when he realized Daniel was probably still asleep. He remembered getting up once during the night to get Daniel a glass of water but somehow they'd never found the energy to move from the living room to the bedroom.

Daniel, however, wasn't in the recliner. Jack stood and stretched, wondering if Daniel had gone up to the bedroom without him knowing, but the smell of coffee coming from the kitchen told him Daniel's whereabouts quicker than Jack calling his name.

Jack walked into the kitchen, noticing Daniel sitting at the dining room table and staring out at the deck.

"Hey," Jack said, walking over to his lover and standing behind him. He bent down and placed a kiss on Daniel's hair. "Whatcha doin'?"

"The birds," Daniel motioned, tilting his head back to look up at Jack. "I think they like our decorations."

Jack followed Daniel's gaze to the small tree he'd placed on the deck. Birds were on the branches, eating the decorations he and Daniel had made yesterday.

"Sweet," Jack said.

"Didn't you think they'd come?" Daniel glanced at Jack as he pulled out a chair and sat down beside Daniel.

"We used to do it if we went up to the cabin for Christmas, but I haven't done it for years." Jack shrugged. Beside him, Daniel was silent, his attention on the nature show taking place on the deck.

"I didn't get you a Christmas present. I mean, I know it's still a few days away, but I asked Janet if I could have Sam drive me to the mall or something but she said no." Daniel looked at Jack, his skin pale under the two days growth of whiskers. "I thought I'd have time, but..."

"I don't have anything for you either," Jack commented and he saw the briefest flicker of relief cross Daniel's features.

"You've been taking care of me," Daniel pointed out. "I don't need a present."

"And you think I do?" Jack asked. "God, Danny, when I got that phone call at the cabin...they wouldn't tell me anything, how you were, anything." He pulled his chair closer to his partner, cupping one hand at the base of Daniel's skull, leaning in until his lips were against the warm skin of Daniel's ear. "I got my gift. You're here with me. You're alive, you're going to get better. That's all that matters."

"Maybe when I'm completely well..." Daniel whispered and turned his head a fraction to brush dry lips against Jack's cheek.

"When you're well," Jack promised.

Daniel let his head rest against Jack's shoulder. Jack smiled. Sometimes the best presents came not in wrapping paper but in rare and precious moments. And as far as Jack was concerned, he wouldn't trade a single moment, now or in the future, for the most expensive gift in the world. His present was beside him now. It was all he needed. All he'd ever need.

  



End file.
